The Weekend

 You may have been questioning why Jennie and I were baking so many cinnamon rolls--and I assure you that it was not out of sheer boredom.  Motherhood craziness might have had something to do with it--but it was for a cause.  Our assembly hosted a Young People's (Youth) weekend as we have over past Memorial Day weekends.  Saturday morning we had several diligent young ladies show up early to help us get breakfast ready on time.  Thank you for all your help, ladies!

 Nora and Landon participated in a rousing game of ping pong.   Perhaps we are slightly biased,  but they are quite fun to watch.

 Mid-day we took the party to a park--and what incredible weather we were gifted with.  Can't imagine a more perfect day!  While the energetic teens and twenty somethings played all manner of sports and ran around on a photo scavenger hunt, those of us with younguns went for a walk. 

 Naps that were supposed to happen...didn't.

 But we did find the beach.  And  not having a swim suit along does not bother little ones.

 After we returned it was time to help at Katherine's iced coffee and Italian soda stand.  There was a lot of business, seeing as the beverages were free.

 And there is my quite spoiled daughter being held while sipping her Italian soda and having her feet massaged.

 Licorice Ladies.

 And a soccer boy.

 I sat in the shade and aimed my camera at all the cute kiddos.

 Er, not a cute kiddo--Hi Fuzzy!

 This was one very tired  boy, I tell you.

 Besties.  Cuties, too.

 After that, I forgot about my camera for the rest of the weekend.  No shots of the "choose your own decade" theme dinner which was full of wild and crazy costumes, not to mention delicious food--including one of my favorite desserts--cream puffs!  No pictures of our Monday  hike to Poo Poo Point.  Yep, you read that correctly.  Native American name, so I hear.  Just proves to me that a twelve year old boy is a twelve year old  boy no matter what the culture.  We had planned to go along on the hike and stop when our little family got tired.  We had no driving force compelling us to go the whole two miles up and two miles back down.  Not until Ezra ran off with the kids at the front of the pack, that is.  And then we were required to go to the top to claim our child.  I am still in pain.  I am aware of my age.  I am not proud of my out of shapeness.  It just happened.  After the hike we drove out to Snoqualmie to enjoy a hot dog supper hosted by Dallas and Lisa.  We also enjoyed a walk down memory lane as we used to live in Snoqualmie.  Our dear sweet little house has been abandoned by the folks who bought it from us.  The Bank now owns it and it has notices in the window.  I just about wept while I peeked in the windows and remembered holding my first two newborns in those rooms.  Being at the park where I used to walk the kids all the time was fun, of course.  And Jennie was kind enough to share these last few photos of the afternoon with me.

 Trouble, I tell ya!

All in all, the weekend was fun.  I am still tired, but it was fun.  Thanks for all those who faced the sky rocketing gas prices and drove up, down and over to join the fun!

Have You Ever Wondered?

 Have you ever wondered what it looks like to make 170 cinnamon rolls?  Maybe not--but you're going to get to see it anyway.  First of all, you load up all the ingredients and a few kids and head off to your local meeting  hall...

 

at which time you unload said ingredients (plus coffee, even if you're normally a non-coffee-drinker) and meet your partner in cinnamon roll crime and her children.

 Then the two of you start working and enlist some child laborers to help.

 Child laborers are very good at whisking ingredients together with a smile on their little faces.

 If you are tricked into thinking that a toy cockroach is a real cockroach, you won't feel too badly because you are in good company with three others who were also tricked.

 Poor little child laborer.

Always be sure to use disposable aluminum pans for 170 cinnamon rolls, because washing 13 9x13 pans is not high on the list of "Oh I can't wait to do its!"

 We managed to remember that not everyone likes cream cheese frosting atop their cinnamon rolls (seriously, who doesn't????) and so included a sticky bun recipe with caramel-pecan goo.

 Just looking at all that sugar and fat put him right to sleep.  Oh yeah, and maybe the rocking motion of his ever hard working mother bustling around the kitchen while he was strapped to her.

And that is a bit of the finished product.  If I was the Pioneer Woman I'd tell you that we used 12 pounds of butter.  But I'm not, and you probably didn't want to know that.  If you have a hankering for a cinnamon roll--please come on over to my house one morning this week!  There are a few leftovers.

"He Hath Made all Things Beautiful...

 ...in His time."

 

To me, there is something so pretty about simple tulips in an equally simple white pitcher.

 A couple of weeks ago the Pioneer Woman came to Seattle (no, I wasn't able to go see her) and she wrote a post about "zone envy" and all the beautiful things growing in Seattle right now that she can't grow on her ranch.  She spoke of dozens of rock walls oozing with blue and yellow flowers.  And I thought to myself, "why, I get to see those every day!"  This rock wall is one I find particularly beautiful every time I drive or walk by.

 In my own backyard I have only a few blooming things as of yet. 

 Lettuce is just about ready for use--yah!

 I missed snapping this wall at the height of its glory.  I'm so happy these beauties reside a short distance from me so that I can drink them in frequently.

 The scent of lilacs drifting on the breeze transports the soul.  And signals that the next smell to waft around the yard will be honey suckle--can't hardly wait!

Bringing some of the beauty inside with me.